As conventional splints for orthopedics, plaster bandages or synthetic bandages have been used on the affected part of a patient suffering from a bone fracture, a muscular injury, or a sprain. In recent years, various fixation methods using synthetic splints have been employed.
Such a splint is structured in a manner such that various fibers are coated with a water-curable synthetic resin serving as a curing material, to thus constitute a support, which is then enveloped in a pad. Thus, the splint is applied at one time and is removably attached, and therefore is easy to use.
The materials used in the splint for orthopedics should have flexibility so that bendable portions are easily molded and should have sufficient mechanical strength to prevent a secondary injury.
The molding process requires a uniform setting time and an appropriate working time. After the application of the splint, a drying process should be efficiently realized in order to prevent a secondary injury attributable to the festering of the affected part.
In the case of the plaster bandage, it has been used as a splint for a long time, but is disadvantageous because it requires a long fitting time and setting time upon application thereof, is heavy, and has low strength relative to the weight thereof.
To make up for such problems, products in which glass fiber, polyester non-woven fabric, or polyester knitted fabric is coated with a water-curable resin to thus constitute a support have been developed.
However, in the case of the conventional splint using water-curable synthetic resin, the synthetic resin may flow out of the pad layer, undesirably compressing the skin of the patient, resulting in pains and injuries.
In addition, to solve the problems, products in which a pad is subjected to water-repellent treatment have been used, however these suffer because such treatment blocks the absorption of water and thus uniform curing is not realized, and furthermore, workability becomes poor, undesirably distorting the shape of the product applied to the affected part.
In addition, to make up for the problems, there have been proposed products in which a hydrophilic pad is used only for an outer surface layer thereof, and a water-repellent pad is used for a skin contact layer. However, water does not drain well due to the properties of the hydrophilic pad, and the drying time is lengthened, causing the patient to feel discomfort and the affected part to fester.
Also, since a hydrophilic agent is used to maintain hydrophilicity, the hydrophilicity of the product is decreased over time.
Consequently, to solve the problems, products in which double raschel is used to allow water to rapidly penetrate and drain have been developed. However, the use thereof is complicated because the skin-protecting layer is brought into direct contact with water and then dries. Thereby, the patient feels discomfort, and it is difficult to completely prevent the festering of the affected part.
Moreover, since the conventional products are all either dipped in water or sprayed with water to cure the water-curable resin, water inevitably enters the skin-protecting layer.
Therefore, the present invention is intended to completely prevent the entry of water into the skin-protecting layer.